Shoe-finishing jack.



No. 892,224. PATENTBD JUNE 30,-1908.

e. H. OLA SHOE FINISHIN 0K,

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII UT. 22, 1906.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE HENRY CLARK, OF ALLSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THE UTICA TREEING MACHINE COMPANY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHU- SETTS.

SHOE -FINISHING JACK.

Application filed October 22, 1906.

Specification of Letters Patent.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE HENRY CLARK,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Allston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Shoe-Finishing Jacks; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The present invention relates to a shoe finishing jack and more particularly to certain improvements in the jack and the last or follower whereby the application of the shoe thereto and its removal therefrom shall be facilitated, and to provide an improved connection between the last or follower and the jack whereby the last or follower and the shoe thereon will be securely held upon the jack during the manipulation of the shoe finishing tools in ironing and smoothing the upper of the shoe and also to provide means which while acting to engage and fixedly hold the shoe in position, will at the same time extend the counter thereof at the back of the shoe, causing the counter of the shoe to be narrowed or drawn inward along the sides, thus producing the desired shape.

Further objects of the invention will appear in connection with the following description of its construction and arrangement.

To the above ends the present invention consists of the improved jack for finishing shoes which will be hereinafter described and claimed.

Figure 1 shows the device in side elevation, with portions thereof illustrated in dotted lines. Fig. 2 shows a rear elevation. Fig. 3 shows a vertical section taken upon the line 33, with the shoe in position upon the jack, and Fig. 4 shows the split jack pin removed from the device. -15 Similar reference characters will be employed throughout the specification and drawing to designate corresponding parts.

My improved jack 1 is preferably cast in a single integral piece and preferably of some light metal, such as aluminum, and at its lower end it may be rovided with a substantially cylindrical s ank 2, having a bore 3, whereby it may be mounted upon any convenient holder or spindle, as is usual in such 55 devices.

The jack 1 comprises the leg and ankle portion of the device and at its upper end is provided with the inclined face 4-. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2,the jack 1 is verymuchwider than it is thick, and its front and rear edge portions will be slightly rounded and formed upon the generally converging lines 5 and 6, which towards their upper ends diverge as shown at 7 and S Projecting from the upper end of the inclined face 4 is a jack pin 9, which as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, will be inclined slightly towards the back of the device. This jack pin, as shown clearly in Fig. 1, is provided with a vertical slot 10, thus providing two yielding members 11 and 12, preferably having rounded ends 13. By thus constructing the pin, it may be readily inserted in the bore of the last or follower, which can be made of slightly less diameter than the diameter of the pin, thus causing the members 11 and 12 to frictionally engage the wall of the bore. The jack 1 is provided with a longitudirml slot or recess 14 entering from the back thereof and projecting inward towards the front as shown in Fig. 3, and as indicated by the dotted lines 15 in Fig. 1. 'l/Vithin this recess 14 is pivoted a bent lever 16 mounted upon a pivot 17 and extending in both directions above and below said pivot. The lower arm 18 of the lever 16 is arranged to be engaged by the cam shaped end 19 of a lever fulcrumed within the slot 14, upon a pin 20 and provided with a handle 21, where by said lever may be rocked about its pivot 20 to cause the end 19 to engage the end 18 of the lever 16, thus moving said end 18 inward and causing a corresponding outward movement of the end 22 of the lever 16. The end 22 of the lever 16 extends upward above the inclined face 4 of the jack 1, as shown at 23, for a purpose which will be hereinafter described.

To rock the lever 16 in a reverse direction to that imparted by the lever 19, there is provided a coiled sprin 24 which is seated with in a bearing 25 against an adjusting screw tom and the top of the follower, as clearly indicated in Figs. 1 and 3. Within this recess 27 the upper end 23 of the lever 16 is arranged to lit and to move freely back and forth therein, and as shown in Fig. 2, the width of the slots 14 and 27 is substantially the thickness of the lever 16; and thus when the end 23 is fitted in the slot 27 of the last or follower it, in effect, performs the function of a second jack pin holding and preventing the turning of the last or follower on the pin 9, and maintaining it in proper position on the jack.

As clearly indicated in Figs. 1 and 3, the upper end 23 of the lever 16 is arranged to be projected from a position within the margin of the back of the last or follower to a position outside of the margin, shown in Fig. 3, and when rocked. to this position by the upturning of the handle 21 and the engagement of the cam end 1. 9 with the end 18 of the rocking lever 16, the upper end 23 of this lever will forcibly engage the counter of the boot or shoe about at its longitudinal vertical central portion and the shoe will be forced rearwardly at this point, thus causing the sides of the counter to be contracted and to closely engage the beveled sides 28 of the last or follower 25. Vhile thus held, the shoe may be ironed, rubbed, dressed, smoothed. and otherwise finished as is common in the finishing of boots and shoes.

To facilitate the easy application of the shoe to the last or follower and its easy removal therefrom, the said last or follower at its heel portion is cut away on an incline as indicated at 29, and thus the shoe may be drawn readily over and fitted to the last or follower.

It is well known that the tops of some shoes are out fuller and wider than the tops of other shoes, and therefore it is desirable to adjust the width of the jack 1 at the point where the top of the high shoe engages the same, and for this purpose there is fitted in the slot 14 an extension plate or slide 30, which is pivotally mounted at 31 so as to swing in and out, as shown clearly in Figs. 1. and 3. This plate 30 is provided with a slot, through which is fitted an adjusting or clamping screw 32 provided upon the outside of the jack 1 with a winged head 33 whereby it may be turned to set the plate 30 in its shown in Fig. 1, is received in notches or recesses 35, cut in the rear edge 6 of the jack 1.

It is thought that the operation of my invention will be clear to those skilled in the art from the foregoing description and that further description is unnecessary.

Having described my invention I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United. States:

1. A shoe finishing jack comprising a leg portion and a removable foot portion, the foot portion having at the heel end a vertical slot, and the leg portion provided with a pivoted lever, said lever engaging both said leg and said foot portions on both sides of said lever and adapted to engage at its upper end the heel of the shoe to stretch the same rearwardly, and operating devices for said lever, substantially as described.

2. A shoe iinishmg ack comprising a leg portion and a removable foot portion, means to join them together consisting in a compressible spring pin, means to prevent the turning of the foot portion on said leg portion comprising a lever pivoted to the leg portion and projecting into the foot portion arranged to engage the heel of the shoe to stretch the same rearwardly, and operating devices therefor.

3. A shoe finishing jack comprising a leg portion and a removable foot portion, uniting devices therefor comprising a pin and a lever, said lever engaging both said leg and foot portions on both sides of said lever and arranged to engage the heel of the shoe to stretch the same rearwardly, and operating devices for said lever.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE HENRY CLARK.

i/Vitnesses:

T. IIART ANDERsoN, MAY A. KENNEY. 

